Father Of Boy Who Needs Kidney Undergoing Tests: Reports

ATLANTA, GA — The father of a 2-year-old boy who needs a kidney transplant is scheduled to undergo medical tests on Friday, according to a media report. The father, Anthony Dickerson, is a perfect match to donate a kidney to his toddler son, Anthony Burgess Jr. (AJ), who was born without both kidneys.

The father's legal problems, however, have delayed a transplant. AJ had been scheduled on Oct. 3 to receive a new kidney from his father in a surgical procedure at Emory University Hospital.

But doctors postponed the surgery after Anthony Dickerson was arrested and jailed on a probation violation. Dickerson was released on a $1,000 bond on Oct. 2 from the Gwinnett County Jail to undergo the procedure, but the hospital told the family that he would have to comply with his parole requirements for three months before he would be allowed to donate the kidney.

Due to his probation status, doctors at Emory were unsure of whether Dickerson could follow through with pre- and post-surgery requirements crucial to the success of the transplant, WGCL-TV CBS46 reported.

"It's about my son," AJ's mother, Carmellia Burgess, told WXIA-TV 11Alive. "He's been through a lot. It's like we've been waiting on this. And Dad making a mistake shouldn't affect what he wants to do with our son."

SEE MORE: Dad's Parole Violation Keeps Him From Donating Kidney To 2-Year-Old Son

AJ's family protested the decision, and the Atlanta community rallied around them. In one protest at the hospital, the participants marched into the building and demanded to meet with the CEO of Emory Healthcare, CBS46 reported.

The family met with hospital officials on Monday, and said they expect the kidney transplant operation to take place before the end of the year, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. Over the next several weeks, Dickerson will complete doctor's appointments required to be cleared to donate one of his kidneys, his attorney, Mawuli Davis, told the AJC.

Amid the complications and delays, there's been an outpouring of support for AJ on the GoFundMe page that his mother set up. As of Friday, a total of $12,325 had been raised toward the goal of $50,000.

After he spent months in another local hospital, doctors have allowed AJ to go home, and he's on antibiotics to ensure that he's healthy enough for a transplant, CBS46 reported Friday.

Image: Shutterstock